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Sony details its new Concept for Android UI: near stock Lollipop with popular Sony apps

Sony details its new Concept for Android UI: near stock Lollipop with popular Sony apps

Posted: 22 Jul 2015, 13:15 , posted by Florin T.

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Sony details its new Concept for Android UI: near stock Lollipop with popular Sony apps

Earlier this week, we heard that Sony was looking to test a new Android UI for its smartphones, starting with trials available to Xperia Z3 owners in Sweden. Today, Sony revealed more about this, also showing us two screenshots of the new UI.

According to Sony, the "Concept for Android" UI is based on Android 5.1 Lollipop, and offers a "stripped back, vanilla Android look and feel" that's enhanced with some of the most popular Sony features and apps.

As you can see in the images below, Sony's new UI does indeed look close to stock Android Lollipop. Unfortunately, for now we can't know exactly how the interface feels in terms of performance.

Only 500 Xperia Z3 users in Sweden will be able to test Sony's new Android UI (by registering at the second source link below). However, Sony says that this first trial may lead to trials for other Xperia devices, in more countries.

Do you own an Xperia smartphone or tablet? If yes, what do you think about Sony's initiative to strip down its Android user interface?

Sony's new Concept for Android UI

Sony's new Concept for Android UI

sources: Sony, Sony Concept for Android UI registration

45 Comments

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posted on 22 Jul 2015, 13:17 27

1. Zomer (Posts: 360; Member since: 31 May 2013)

Looks great!

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 13:44 10

10. killerpollo (Posts: 89; Member since: 15 May 2015)

looks just like stock android, what's to praise about that?...

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 14:04 11

14. XperiaFanZone (Posts: 2277; Member since: 21 Sep 2012)

So, stock Android doesn't look great?

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 16:10 9

25. may_czos (Posts: 952; Member since: 22 Nov 2014)

No, it's pretty ugly.

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 19:35 2

28. mafiaprinc3 (Posts: 584; Member since: 07 May 2012)

so it's safe to say yo have a horrible taste, I guess it's just your opinion but this looks better than stock android to me

posted on 24 Jul 2015, 03:01

43. epdm2be (Posts: 807; Member since: 20 Apr 2012)

He has no horrible taste. Just eyes in his head. The reason why (Im)Material Design looks awful is because most versions have no shadows under their flat icons to distinguish them from a (busy) background.
The only decent looking lollipop design is Samsung's S6 version only because of the soft shadow under their icons. The S5-version also is FUgly.

posted on 24 Jul 2015, 10:46

45. killerpollo (Posts: 89; Member since: 15 May 2015)

it does, what I mean is, why should we praise sony for this?, it's Google's design language not sony's....

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 14:44 2

19. JAPANESEPATRIOT (Posts: 65; Member since: 26 May 2015)

Finest Japanese tech, NOT cheap Chinese or Korean one.
That's more than enough

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 16:17 8

26. Well-Manicured-Man (Posts: 635; Member since: 16 Jun 2015)

I think it makes sense for Sony to stick closer to stock Android since Sony can save resources this way which would be necessary to maintain Sony's proprietary Android version.

However, I don't like the stock Android App symbols. I think they look so fragile. Nothing you really want to press on. Google should go for rather iOS-like symbols which surround the actual symbol with a box.

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 19:55 2

29. thariq (Posts: 32; Member since: 11 Jan 2014)

The biggest reason why I am away from ios is those icons, simply ugly.

posted on 23 Jul 2015, 04:56

40. Onami (Posts: 16; Member since: 29 Mar 2014)

I agree, Google material design is only something good in the concept. Wasting too much usage user's space in the screen, Plain design is really something unpolished (somehow when comparing w Sony/HTC UI). The problem with Sony UI is lacking some convenient (lagging?) features.

Sr for my bad English.

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 14:07 9

15. hboy857 (Posts: 367; Member since: 03 Jun 2013)

IMHO, this is the way to go. Sony should add useful features without f**king up the overall software design aesthetics. Their hardware design is excellent but software design is mixed up with various design approach. They should keep the popular Sony apps, remove the unnecessary bloatware and put more focus on the overall user experience.

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 21:55

30. apamau (Posts: 13; Member since: 29 Jun 2014)

Yes, I fully agreed. Don't try to put up things that we don't really use and make the device moving slow.

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 15:54

22. dazzmichael (Posts: 70; Member since: 15 Sep 2014)

but they still need to get rid of the big icons, atleast give us an option to minimise them, Those are one of the reasons why i use launchers.

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 15:58 3

23. Zylam (Posts: 1741; Member since: 20 Oct 2010)

I will buy a Xperia in a heartbeat if Sony's new ui is 90%+ stock Android.

Thank you SONY!

posted on 23 Jul 2015, 01:04

37. RajRicardo (Posts: 476; Member since: 28 Feb 2014)

It already does. :|

posted on 23 Jul 2015, 01:09

38. engineer-1701d (unregistered)

nice very nice

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 13:24 9

2. shaineql (Posts: 499; Member since: 28 Apr 2014)

Nice and clean , i like it.

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 13:31

3. eviatar (Posts: 18; Member since: 20 Jul 2015)

Previous articles on the discussions leaked video of Nexus 5 (2015)
Now the man took out a new video (I followed him {it all worth for Krdit

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 13:32 1

4. Basharhd99 (Posts: 100; Member since: 05 Jul 2012)

Love it tbh.

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 13:35

7. eviatar (Posts: 18; Member since: 20 Jul 2015)

Previous articles on the discussions leaked video of Nexus 5 (2015)
Now the man took out a new video (I followed him {it all worth for Krdit

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 13:48 6

11. buccob (Posts: 2942; Member since: 19 Jun 2012)

In my opinion, I am ok with the design being even closer to Stock, however I hope that the Added functionality that Sony has always brought to its UI is not removed...

I have ignored the Lollipop upgrade yet because of that reason... I don't want previous features to be removed.... and hopefully they keep the following, since I love and use daily:

- Small Apps
- Widget and Homescreen Management
- Close All button for Recent Apps
- Lock Screen widgets
- Smart Settings
- PS3 Controller Connectivity (I heard they start removing and keeping only PS4 controllers support)

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 15:23 1

21. monoke (Posts: 1045; Member since: 14 Mar 2015)

I'm still on kk too bro. I'll prob never update since I don't see any performance /battery improvement whatsoever and some features you've mentioned are gone or half assed. Update only if you want an uglier ui with fancy animations imo.

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 22:17 1

31. buccob (Posts: 2942; Member since: 19 Jun 2012)

My main motivation to update is the ability to install apps on the SD card... I am constantly running out of memory (I like saving my pictures to the internal memory) and would love to be able to install huge apps without a problem...

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 13:59 3

13. TheGunnyPT (Posts: 252; Member since: 12 Feb 2015)

Now, that's an amazing UI I would use.

Please do release the launcher of this. It looks amazing!

Best of both worlds ASOP with Xperia theme

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 14:23

17. Bm888 (Posts: 517; Member since: 06 Jul 2015)

I am touchwiz inspired. .love it's functionality, waiting when tizen OS will mature for use at flagship level coz it's gonna be the killer OS due to its lightweight nature and in top of it the great touchwiz. .and "hullabaloos" of lag will be gone for good.

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 14:41

18. Feanor (Posts: 1251; Member since: 20 Jun 2012)

Fantastic! I actually installed the Google Now launcher to my Z2 to do exactly this and bring my interface closer to stock Android without loosing the added functionality like double tap to wake, always on screen when you look at it, small apps, etc. Wouldn't mind having it out of the box.

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 14:57

20. darealist (Posts: 107; Member since: 25 Feb 2015)

This may allow Sony to release faster updates.

posted on 22 Jul 2015, 16:00 1

24. vuyonc (Posts: 1087; Member since: 24 Feb 2014)

As long as they can increase functionality and freedom. Their current theme engine has brought some sweet themes but need more depth. Matching icon packs will do the trick. Deeper camera controls. Newer Xperias deserve fully fledged multi window apps too. Sony apps need immersion mode. Ultra Stamina mode needs basic Web browsing and low power games (old school games like Snake or Tower of Hanoi).